It’s been a couple years since we posted our Top 10 Honda Sportbikes list. There always exists subjectivity in such a list, but since the Honda topic was generally well-received, revisiting the idea, this time showcasing Yamaha sportbikes, seemed apropos. Like the Honda list, we’re keeping this one limited to street-legal models available stateside (except one, sue us).

Like Honda, Yamaha owns a colorful history of important sporty motorcycles – more than a single Top 10 list can include. Narrowing down such a cornucopia of two-wheel performance is a difficult task, but we’re certain that if you feel we omitted a bike more deserving than one of the 10 selected here, you’ll certainly let us know in the comments section below.

10. RD400

n the 1970’s heyday of 2-stroke performance, when the efficient yet dirty form of internal combustion was still allowed within the continental United States, Yamaha’s RD400 was the bike of choice for many cafe racer wannabes. Rarely would one be seen in stock trim like the model pictured above, as OEM handlebars were replaced for clubmans quicker than the RD could accelerate through the quarter-mile, which was approximately 14 seconds.
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